Roses are one of the most popular plants in the world and for good reason. They are beautiful, long-lasting flowers that can be grown indoors or outdoors. This overview will teach you everything you need to know about growing roses.
How to care for Roses:
- Water roses regularly, especially during hot weather.
- Fertilise roses every few weeks.
- Deadhead roses regularly.
- Prune roses in the fall or winter.
- Protect roses from pests and diseases.
Where to plant
Ensure plenty of sunlight
Roses do best in bright sunlight. A minimum of four hours in direct sunlight is recommended for best results. However, roses can still thrive even when planted against a north wall, where there is no direct sunlight.
Avoid competition from other plants
Your rose will face a greater amount of competition for sunlight and moisture the closer it is planted to other plants. Plant your rose 3 feet (1 m) away from other plants and 2 feet (60 cm) away from other roses for best results. Planting a rose under an overhanging tree branch is not recommended.
Avoid exposed areas
The rose’s base in the soil may become loose in strong winds. Your rose will rock in the wind as a result, which will cause it to grow at an angle and eventually die. Make sure to follow our planting instructions to avoid this. Make sure the soil around your existing rose is firm if you discover this issue. A stake may be required at times.
How to plant
Below we have a step-by-step guide to planting different varieties of roses in both bare-root and potted forms. While potted roses can be planted all year, bare-root roses can only be planted from November to April. We advise against planting when the ground is frozen, saturated with water, or experiencing a drought.
How to water
It’s important to keep your roses well-hydrated as the weather warms up. The specific weather conditions and type of soil will determine the required quantity of water and frequency of watering.
How much to water
Keep your roses well-hydrated, especially during hot weather. Watering amounts vary, so make sure the soil is moist but be careful not to overwater.
When to water roses
Depending on the amount of rain that has fallen, the need to water varies greatly throughout the year. The following is what we suggest:
In the UK, from October to February, you won’t need to water much. From March to May, watch out for particularly long dry spells that last two weeks or more, especially if the weather is warm. Water roses that have just been planted every two to three days. Watering established roses once per week.
Water established roses once per week from June to September. Make a note of any wilting flowers as your rose begins to bloom. This is a reliable indication that your roses require additional water and will occur in extreme heat. Water your newly planted roses every other day.
What You Need
Using a watering can is the best way to water because you can see how much water you use. A hose with a rose attachment is more practical if you have a lot of roses.
It is best to water the rose as close to its base as possible. If the water is beginning to flow away from the base, stop and let the water soak in before continuing.
Water the foliage and flowers separately. If the water stays on the leaves overnight, it can exacerbate disease issues.
Instead of using a jet spray or pressure hose, we recommend using a gentler spray. Try to find a fitting with a rose setting if you’re going to be using a hose. Make sure your hose has a low pressure if you don’t have a special fitting.
Situations that call for extra care or attention:
- Newly planted roses.
- Climbing roses are planted against walls because the soil there is dry.
- Roses planted in sandy soil.
- Roses are grown in a container or pot.
Feeding Roses
Feeding your roses will encourage abundant flowering and healthy growth. One of the most beneficial jobs you can do to ensure that your roses are at their healthiest and most floriferous when summer arrives is to perform this relatively quick and easy task. Top Tip: Don’t overfeed your roses, this can lead to them becoming damaged.
Your rose will be able to produce more beautiful blooms and resist diseases and pests if you feed it the essential nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
At the end of March or the beginning of April, just before the leaves fully open. Mulching should come immediately after.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1: Remove any weeds, old leaves, or other debris from the base of your rose with your hand fork, making sure to do this while wearing gloves.
Step 2: Use the provided measuring scoop to sprinkle rose food all around the rose’s base. Sprinkle approximately 30 grams of rose food all around the rose’s base, up to the width of the canopy. Distribute the food evenly around the rose’s base.
Use one scoop for shrub roses (30g per rose). Apply two scoops (60 grams per rose) to climbing roses.
Step 3: Use a hand fork to gently incorporate the rose food into the surrounding soil.
Step 4: You should water your rose if the ground is dry. Mulching should come next.
How to prune roses
One of the most well-liked plants on the planet is the rose. They are beautiful, fragrant, and straightforward to maintain. However, they must be pruned on a regular basis to keep their best appearance. Check out our article on how to properly prune roses to maintain their beauty and health.
How to mulch
Mulching is the process of covering the base of your roses with a protective layer. This process keeps your roses moist, keeps weeds at bay, and gives them valuable nutrients as they grow.
Before mulching, first feed your rose and water the soil around it, which should be free of weeds and old leaves. Spread a layer of your preferred mulch, that is between 1 and 2 inches thick, around the rose’s base to cover the entire canopy.
Compost King shrub, tree & rose compost is an excellent choice for mulch. Alternatively, you can use well-rotted manure from a nearby farm or a high-quality garden compost, composted straw or bark, or fresh manure, which can burn your roses’ roots.
Mulch immediately following the first feed in late March or early April. Before winter, a second application may be beneficial if the mulch layer has vanished by autumn.
Pests & Diseases
Roses may have trouble getting established, especially if planted in an area where roses have previously grown or if they are given little aftercare.
They can also get several common rose diseases, like rose rust, rose black spot, rose dieback, and powdery mildew. Large rose sawflies, rose leaf-rolling sawflies and rose aphids are examples of pests to look out for.
Rose Black Spot
Rose black spot is a fungal disease that causes purple or black spots to form on the leaves, which typically fall off earlier than usual. In autumn, gather and dispose of fallen leaves, or bury them beneath a mulch layer. If possible, remove and discard any winter-bound leaves from the plant. Before the first leaves appear in spring, trim away all stem lesions. These measures will help to prevent the disease from spreading, but they won’t do much because spores will always find their way into rain that has been blown in from other places.
Rose Dieback
Most gardens see a rose branch or stem dieback to some extent, but in some cases, it can be extremely widespread and damaging. Dieback can occur when a plant experiences stress and a lack of vigour as a result of any negative factors.
Fungi that cause spots can invade shoots that have already been affected by dieback or colonize the plant by causing any kind of physical damage. Once they enter, they can spread to living tissues nearby and cause more damage.
Rose Powdery Mildew
One of the roses’ most common foliar diseases is powdery mildew. The white, powdery fungal growth can be very disfiguring, and the plant’s vigour is reduced by repeated heavy infection. Fungicides are also available if they are required, and cultural techniques play a significant role in reducing outbreaks.
The first line of defence against pests, diseases, and weeds, according to the RHS, should be good cultivation practices, cultivar selection, garden hygiene, and encouraging or introducing natural enemies. If chemical controls are used, they should be used sparingly and specifically.
Rose Rust
Rose rust is a fungal disease that causes orange or black spore pustules to appear on the undersides of rose leaves and distorted stems. To help stop or get rid of this, prune out spring infections as soon as you find them to stop the spring spores from spreading. Reduce the number of resting spores that survive the winter by collecting and disposing of fallen leaves in autumn. Consider substituting a different cultivar if persistent infections indicate that it is unusually susceptible; however, be aware of the potential for replant disease if another rose is planted in the same location.
Large Rose Sawfly
Large rose sawflies’ caterpillar-like larvae consume the leaves of both wild and cultivated roses. Solid roses can adapt to a few defoliation and the presence of some hatchlings can be endured. From spring on, check roses frequently to take action before a harmful population grows. By starting with the methods in the non-pesticide control section and avoiding pesticides when selecting management options, you can minimize harm to animals that are not the target. When it comes to pesticides, products with a shorter persistence—typically those that have been certified for organic production—are likely to be less harmful to wildlife that is not intended targets than products with a longer persistence and/or systemic action. If the entire plant can be reached, pesticide treatments are only likely to be successful if they kill natural enemies.
Rose Leaf rolling Sawfly
On both wild and cultivated roses, the rose leaf-rolling sawfly causes tightly rolled leaves. Sometimes, this is mistaken for damage caused by a weed killer. Although there may be a loss of vigour where a large portion of the foliage is affected, plants typically recover and flower well, this sawfly can typically be treated as part of the support for biodiversity in roses.
Before the larvae finish feeding, affected leaves can be removed; this can only be done when only a small number of leaves are affected. More harmful to the rose than the sawfly’s damage will be the removal of a large number of leaves. During the winter, cultivating the soil around roses may expose overwintering larvae, damage the roots, and encourage suckering.
It is unlikely that pesticides will eradicate this insect. It is also impractical and undesirable to attempt to stop the females from laying eggs because doing so could harm non-target invertebrates (such as sawfly predators). The females can be active from late spring to early summer for eight weeks. Pesticides are safe for larvae in rolled leaves.
Rose Aphids
During the spring and summer, roses can house a large number of sap-sucking aphids—greenflies, blackflies, and other insects that are related to them. It is not uncommon to find some aphids in a garden ecosystem that is healthy and balanced. Aphids are the foundation of many food chains. From spring on, check roses frequently to take action before a harmful population grows. By the end of the summer, natural enemies typically decrease in number.
Additionally, it is necessary to reach the entire plant for artificial treatments to be effective. By starting with the methods in the non-pesticide control section and avoiding pesticides when selecting management options, you can minimize harm to animals that are not the target. When it comes to pesticides, products with a shorter persistence—typically those that have been certified for organic production—are likely to be less harmful to wildlife that is not intended targets than products with a longer persistence and/or systemic action. If the entire plant can be reached, pesticide treatments are only likely to be successful if they kill natural enemies.
Additional Articles
Want some more information about caring for roses? We have several articles about caring for roses.
